What is the marriage between gospel and classical music like?
What happens when Gospel music meets classical music? The two completely different rhythms have come together to form a formidable duo with wild symphonies and tempos. The mix takes you to a deep and unexplored horizon of new musical adventures. You will feel deep inside the magic of this art that takes place. We advise you to inform you by going on gospelphilharmonicexperience.com, you will be pleasantly surprised! This original alliance between the excellence of classical music via a philharmonic orchestra and that of Gospel music aims to convey a message of hope and peace throughout the world.
The formation of a timeless Gospel group
The meeting of Gospel and classical music is one of the contemporary innovations. Gospel music has adapted to all types of music in recent decades. Very well known, it is influenced by many contemporary musics and adopts new names. The Gospel Blues, the Gospel Rock, the Country Gospel, the Gospel Rap or the Urban Gospel are rhythms born from the composition of the Gospel which are marketed happily.
The above-mentioned group is a French group of Gospel enthusiasts. The group is specialized in the composition of Gospel with other rhythms, even symphonic. New within the musical family, classical Gospel is now played by the most prestigious orchestras in France, such as the National Orchestra of Lyon. Born in 2017, the group has enjoyed tremendous success thanks to its creativity and expertise.
The first concert merging the inexhaustible energy of Gospel music with the richness of classical music took place in 2018. A great first in history, the show dazzled not only the audience, but also the entire great family of this art.
Innovation and creativity
The mixture of Gospel and classical music is not a coincidence. It was born from hard work, from uncounted hours of rehearsal, but above all from a creative and innovative spirit. The idea of founding a group focusing on classical gospel music is strongly applauded in the artistic milieu. The singers belonging to these groups have previously performed alongside some of the greatest singers of all time. The members of the group each have their own specialties, but the love of music and creation has brought them together.
At the heart of the marriage of Gospel and Classical music is one of the greatest French orchestra conductors. He is known throughout the artistic and musical scenes. Not only a conductor, author and composer, he is also a lover of Black American music and innovation. He is also one of the founders of this group.
The “sacrosanct” history of Gospel music
Gospel is the black music par excellence. It is distinguished by the power of the voices and the accuracy of the singer’s tones. Since its existence, it has been able to make a place in the sun by conquering the hearts of the greatest music makers. In France, Gospel is a symbolic music that has made a meteoric rise among many others.
The origin of Gospel music
Gospel is an American music that appeared in the 19th century during a rather tragic period. It was born in the cotton fields, during the hard work of African slaves. They invented songs, “worksong”, to create atmosphere or to send codes between them. In the 1865s, when slavery was abolished, African-American students took up the rhythm of a capella and turned it into music. Gospel music was originally used to praise God, but over time it has become a “secular” music enjoyed by millions of fans and played by thousands of musicians.
The origin of Gospel music gives it this supremacy over so many other rhythms. It stands out for its role on the millions of people who lived under the yoke of their executioners. Since 1945, concerts and Gospel shows pay tribute to Nelson Mandela or Martin Luther King all over the world, always with the same purpose.
The different types of Gospel music
Currently, specialists distinguish four types of Gospel music:
- The Negro Spiritual: stemming from the songs of African slaves, it is transmitted orally and anonymously.
- Traditional Gospel: These are evangelical songs sung in churches and during religious events in the United States. Punctuated with energetic rhythms, traditional Gospel is usually sung in choir with one or more soloists.
- Southern Gospel: appeared towards the end of the 19th century, this type of Gospel owes its name to a quartet group composed of two tenors, a baritone and a bass. The lyrics are about the problems of everyday life and praise the Lord.
- Contemporary Gospel and Black Gospel: from the 1960s, Gospel is sung in the streets and becomes a source of income for many African-Americans.
The arrival of Gospel music in France
Gospel music arrived in France like it arrived in any other part of the world, in the 1990s. The success of the film Sister Act 2, starring Whoopi Goldberg, revealed the beauty of the symphony and the power contained in Gospel music. “Oh Happy Day”, the soundtrack of the film was a worldwide hit.
Before that, in the 1950s, tours of these African-American sacred songs were held throughout France. The choirs took on the challenge of filling the Olympia. From that moment on, the famous singers of the time became interested in this “black” music.
